The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1887-08-12

| ioC LII YIN Mrv WILL
"Does anybody else want TO reportp"
he said, looking around.
The old man had fallen upon the
ground. and lay there begging the
brute to spare his life. Having satisfied
himself, the brutal keeper desisted.
The poor-house stood off the main
road, and was completely isolated from
any other farm. There were never any
visitors, and consequently no danger of
witness to Bills brutality.
Supper was announced ut last, by the
ringing of an old cow-bell. and little
Amos saw the wretched creatures,
whom he had held in such fear, run
ming out of the house into long, low
shed where there was long table. The
table was made of rough oak boards on
which were rude dishes, bowls and
plates of wood, pewter, tin, and earth
enware, all of the cheapest and coars-
est kind. Around this rude table,
which was greasy and devoid of cover
ing of any kind, were hard, backless
benches for the paupers to sit upon.
"Ain't you gOin to superb said n
woman, with an idiotic giggle, as she
peered in at the door, putting her dis
tOrted face almost against the terrified
child. One side of her face was drawn,
and one eye almost closed from the
effect of epileptic fits, which produced
partial paralysis and idiocy.
"Where is supperP" asked Amos.
"Over there; an if you don't go soon
they'll not be any left. They eat
race" said the simple woman, gig
Cling.
"Who are you?" Amos asked.
"They calls me foolish Nancy; /
amt so foolish as they think. It's
because laIf but larf when / can't
help it. There's nothin' here to make
any one larf, an l guess Is got to do
larfin' for all the Others"
She paused, because she was giggling
in most hysterical manner. After a
few moments, she said:
"Ye'd better come now an get
suthin' to eat, cos they don't wait here
on any body" and again she fell to
giggling, until her distorted face was
almost dark.
Amos looked at that low, open shed,
which answered for dining-room, and
saw those wrctched creatures there
struggling, fighting and snatching ut
the food, more like hungry dogs than
human beings, and felt that he did not
care to be among them. But at this
moment Bill Jones, passing the door,
said:
"Why don't You 90 to supper?"
Feeling sure he would displeasc the
cruel man 10 refuse, the child said:
"l'll go, sir, I'll GO
He began to climb down from the
hard chair, and with much difficulty
found his crutches.
"Ye'n not Git nothin' to eat, eff ye'rc
goin' to be that Slow chuckled Bill,
whose grammar was as bad rs his
morals.
The woman who had called hcrsel:
simple Nancy was waiting for him, her
face distorted with a giggle.
Come she said, "come with me.
Ye shall be my boy. he'd little boy
like you once"
Disgusting as this poor creature was,
Amos found that she was beam of |
sunshine in that place of horror. His
infantile mind could distinguish in her |
less Sclfishncss than was in many /
Others. Her mind, dwarfcd and cloudcd
as ii was, had yet some faint CLEANS of
and he accepted her profierel
As he hobbled along OH
his crutches, at her side, he asked:
els sister herr''
"Ycs, yes; I'm your sister," the
woman answered, with u giggle. Elm
your sister aud mother both,
"But my sister Helen, Is she herog"
The woman seemed puzzled, She
reflected Ia her stupiied way, aud then,
with u giggls which seemed Ia decide
The matter, said,
"oh, yes-yes, ys'' ! ala your slsle' [
Lelea."